SOTAP is a new product we’re developing which will deliver a copper path between network terminating equipment (NTE) at your customers’ premises and a main distribution or jumper frame at the exchange. 

When it is launched, you will be able to use SOTAP to provide broadband and internet protocol (IP) phone services, because it connects to your exchange infrastructure. 

We’re developing SOTAP to help us withdraw Wholesale Line Rental (WLR).

It will only be for areas where there aren’t any fibre products available. And it won’t include a managed phone service, or any associated calling and network features.

How it works

To use SOTAP you’ll need a point of presence in an exchange based on local loop unbundling (LLU) infrastructure. Or you can go through a wholesaler who offers SOTAP in your area. 

You can find out more in our introduction to SOTAP, and the proposed product scope.

• SOTAP will make it easy to move from WLR. 
  
• There’ll be no engineering needed if LLU shared metallic path facility (SMPF) is already on the line – because it reuses the current LLU SMPF exchange equipment. We can still install it if there isn’t any LLU SMPF on the line (i.e. voice-only WLR lines) – we’ll just need to do some engineering work first.
• It gives customers who are outside our fibre coverage area access to copper.